231: Return to You: A Postpartum Plan for New Moms with Natasha Sriraman, MD, MPH, FAAP

Mom and Mind

My guest today shares bits of her personal motherhood story, along with a glimpse at her new book for moms-to-be, new moms, and moms with other children. The book helps these moms make a plan for their postpartum time with evidence-based information, insights, and helpful advice from a physician-mom. Join us to learn more!

Dr. Natasha Sriraman is a board-certified academic pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School/Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. She is an internationally recognized expert on breastfeeding and postpartum depression. She works with the National AAP, is on the Virginia AAP Board, and is also the Honorary Chair of Postpartum Support Virginia.

Dr. Sriraman lives with her husband and children in Virginia Beach, VA. Her first book, recently published, is Return to You: A Postpartum Plan for New Moms, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her book offers insights as a friendly self-help guide to help new mothers prioritize themselves and make it through their “fourth trimester,” the three-month period following childbirth.

Show Highlights:

• How Dr. Natasha’s book came to be, both from her own experiences and from her patients’ stories
• Why it is very important to be discerning about where your medical advice is coming from
• An explanation of the fourth trimester and its needs
• Dr. Natasha’s personal experience of being terrified of motherhood when she went home with her firstborn baby
• How postpartum support for new moms varies in different cultures
• Why Dr. Natasha’s book has a fill-in-the-blanks actual postpartum plan
• How setting expectations and making a plan for postpartum can decrease anxiety
• Highlights of some of the book chapters which cover social media, guilt, returning to work, childcare, breastfeeding, advocacy, setting boundaries, and more
• Why Dr. Natasha hopes her book will empower moms in taking care of their children
• How a pelvic floor therapist can be very helpful in the postpartum
• How physical and emotional pain are signs that something is wrong and needs to be addressed
• How Dr. Natasha’s book brings awareness and normalization to focusing on mental health as a priority
• How Dr. Natasha is working to decrease the stigma around moms asking for and receiving help when they need it

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Natasha: Instagram

Return to You: A Postpartum Plan for New Moms

**Dr. Natasha is offering a signed copy of her book to the first listener to comment on this episode on the Mom & Mind YouTube channel. Visit Mom & Mind - YouTube today!

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